Thai junta amasses security force to smother Bangkok protests

Soldiers block the entrance to an elevated train station near a shopping mall where anti-coup protesters gather in Bangkok June 1, 2014. Thailand's junta has prepared a force of over 6,000 troops and police for deployment in Bangkok on Sunday to smother protests and prevent opposition to the May 22 coup from gaining momentum. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS

BANGKOK (REUTERS) - Thailand's junta has prepared a force of over 6,000 troops and police for deployment in Bangkok on Sunday to smother protests and prevent opposition to the May 22 coup from gaining momentum.

The military has cracked down hard on pro-democracy dissidents and supporters since it ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra last month, seeking to mute criticism and nip protests in the bud.

A heavy security force presence at potential flashpoints in Thailand's largest cities since the coup has limited protesters to small gatherings, which are often coordinated through social media and mostly located around shopping malls.

Authorities were focusing on five possible protest sites in Bangkok on Sunday, said deputy police chief Somyot Poompanmoung.